The Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing today on a proposed 8-story residential condominium building at 254 Front Street just to the south of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The building would replace the one-story building that until recently housed Jeremy's Ale House, a popular bar and restaurant, and a vacant lot.

The developer of the planned building is Barry Akrongold of First Realty Corporation and Akrongold Brothers and the architect is Morris Adjmi.

The building's designed is distinguished by a grid above the first floor of two-story window frames with dark wood-veneer spandrels and wood windows set in a zinc facade.

The building's frontage on Front and Dover Streets would have large canopies with two-story-high supporting cables recalling the canopies on many 19th Century industrial buildings and at the Fulton Fish Market. Mr. Adjmi noted that the long supporting arms of the canopies also relate to the Brooklyn Bridge and the use of metal also relates to the bridge and the FDR Drive as well as some building elements that can be found in the South Street Seaport Historic District.

Commissioner Richard Olcott found the "ganging" of the window elements "a clear device" and "intriguing."

Commissioner Stephen Byrnes was concerned that the zinc facade not "oilcan," that is, bubble and indicated he found the building too bulky, a position echoed by Commissioners Libby Ryan and Roberta Brandes Gratz.

Another commissioner noted that the "materials were very innovative and very nautical and therefore very appropriate to the district."

Until a rezoning in 2003, the building site could have been developed to a F.A.R. (floor-to-area-ratio) of 12 with transfer of air rights from within the district. The rezoning lowered that maximum to 8 but the proposed building plans to use no transferred air rights and have a F.A.R. of only 5.8. The building's design was recently revised to eliminate balconies on its Dover Street facade.

The commission did not vote today on the application and asked the applicants to study possibly making a setback to reduce the building's bulk and shortening the canopies' supports.

The building, which would have about 20 residential condominium apartments.

The Historic Districts Council testified that it supported the project's application for a certificate of appropriateness, stating that it "found the massing to be appropriate, and appreciated that the building references the commercial character of the neighborhood in its materials and design." "Additionally," it continued, "the proposed storefront design is reflective of the architectural language of this district and the signage, discreet."